Clemson Football: Five teams that could wreck the College Football Playoffs

Sep 16, 2023; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Drake Maye (10) passes the ball in the fourth quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 16, 2023; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Drake Maye (10) passes the ball in the fourth quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Normally, I take a tour around college football each weekend to see what else is going on beyond the game Clemson Football plays. I love Clemson, but I love college football in general, and if it wasn’t for real life intervening, I could sit in my chair and watch practically any college football game.

It’s also that time of year when the weekend expands a bit. Usually, we get to thank the MAC, but this season there are more Group of Five conferences jumping into mid-week schedules.

We are also at the time of year when we not only have the teams playing in the Top 25, but we also have those teams that are not in the rankings (or barely in the rankings) that have a spotless record.

Maybe they aren’t traditional powers. Maybe they haven’t played a tough schedule thus far. For whatever reason, people just haven’t bought in, but traditionally at least one of them ends up being for real, if only for one season.

Think TCU last season, Cincinnati in 2021, Washington in 2016, or Michigan State in 2015. Consider Texas A&M in 2020 or UCF in 2018 who came close to crashing the party.

Here are five teams from each Power Five conference we should keep our eyes on that could be wrecking the College Football Playing for one school or another in 2023, and it could be happening as soon as this weekend.